On Continence.

 1. It is difficult to treat of the virtue of the soul, which is called Continence, in a manner fully suitable and worthy but He, whose great gift thi

 2. And lest it should seem that necessary Continence was to be hoped for from the Lord only in respect of the lust of the lower parts of the flesh, it

 3. Lastly, to show more plainly the inner mouth, which by these words he meant, after having said, “Set a watch, O Lord, to my mouth, and a door of Co

 4. For which cause our Lord Himself also with His own mouth saith, “Cleanse what are within, and what are without will be clean.” And, also, in anothe

 5. And on this account that, which, the parts that beget being bridled by modesty, is most chiefly and properly to be called Continence, is violated b

 6. But it is one thing to fight well, which now is, when the strife of death is resisted another thing not to have an adversary, which will then be,

 7. This conflict none experience in themselves, save such as war on the side of the virtues, and war down the vices: nor doth any thing storm the evil

 8. Such soldiers the Apostolic trumpet enkindles for battle with that sound, “Therefore let not,” saith he, “sin reign in your mortal body to obey its

 9. And also, when he exhorts us, that we live not after the flesh, lest we die, but that by the Spirit we mortify the deeds of the flesh, that we may

 10. But in order that we fall not away from Continence, we ought to watch specially against those snares of the suggestions of the devil, that we pres

 11. But some one will say to me that it is one thing to live after man, another thing to live after the flesh because man forsooth is a rational crea

 12. When, therefore, you hear it said, “Sin shall not reign over you ” have not thou confidence of thyself, that sin reign not over thee, but of Him,

 13. In this so great conflict, wherein man under Grace lives, and when, being aided, he fights well, rejoices in the Lord with trembling, there yet ar

 14. And some indeed, who are used to excuse their own sins, complain that they are driven to sin by fate, as though the stars had decreed this, and he

 15. And there are also they who in excuse of their sins so accuse God, as to say that sins are pleasing to Him. For, if they were displeasing, say the

 16. But God wanted not power to make man such as that he should not be able to sin: but He chose rather to make him such, as that it should lie in his

 17. Now therefore let us return to that, wherefore we have said what we have. We have need of Continence, and we know it to be a divine gift, that our

 18. All we therefore, who believe in the Living and True God, Whose Nature, being in the highest sense good and incapable of change, neither doth any

 19. For the flesh lusts after nothing save through the soul, but the flesh is said to lust against the spirit, when the soul with fleshly lust wrestle

 20. There are therefore in us evil desires, by consenting not unto which we live not ill: there are in us lusts of sins, by obeying not which we perfe

 21. That, therefore, the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, that there dwelleth not in our flesh good, that the law in our members is opposed to the la

 22. I say not, therefore, with what error, but with what utter madness, do the Manichees attribute our flesh to some, I know not what, fabled “race of

 23. The Apostle has made known to us certain three unions, Christ and the Church, husband and wife, spirit and flesh. Of these the former consult for

 24. If what we have made mention of out of the Apostolic Epistles seem to you to fall short of an answer, hear yet others, if ye have ears. What saith

 25. But, say they, how is the flesh by a certain likeness compared unto the Church? What! doth the Church lust against Christ? whereas the same Apostl

 26. Thus much will suffice to have treated on behalf of true Continence against the Manichees deceitfully continent, lest the fruitful and glorious la

 27. There are also they who, in doing open service to evil demons, contain from pleasures of the body, that, through their means, they may satisfy unl

 28. Far be it therefore that we say of continence, of which Scripture saith. “And this very thing was wisdom, to know whose gift it was,” that even th

 29. Thus the spirit of man, cleaving unto the Spirit of God, lusts against the flesh, that is, against itself: but for itself, in order that those mot

 30. But, after that he had made mention of these evils, he added and said, “On account of which cometh the wrath of God on the sons of unbelief.” Sure

 31. “But now do ye also,” saith he, “put down all ” and he makes mention of several more evils of that sort. But what is it, that it is not enough for

 32. But whether keenly contending, that we be not overcome, or overcoming divers times, or even with unhoped and unlooked for ease, let us give the gl

29. Thus the spirit of man, cleaving unto the Spirit of God, lusts against the flesh, that is, against itself: but for itself, in order that those motions, whether in the flesh or in the soul, after man, not after God, which as yet exist through the sickness man hath gotten, may be restrained by continence, that so health may be gotten; and man, not living after man, may now be able to say, “But I live, now not I, but there liveth in me Christ.”110    Gal. ii. 20 For where not I, there more happily I: and, when any evil motion after man arises, unto which he, who with the mind serves the Law of God, consents not, let him say that also, “Now it is not I that do this.”111    Rom. vii. 17 To such forsooth are said those words, which we, as partners and sharers with them, ought to listen to.112    Col. iii. 1–4 “If ye have risen together with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is sitting at the Right Hand of God: mind113    Sapite the things that are above, not what are upon earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God: when Christ your life shall have appeared, then ye also shall appear with Him in glory.” Let us understand unto whom he is speaking, yea, rather, let us listen with more attention. For what more plain than this? what more clear? He is certainly speaking unto those, who had risen again with Christ, not yet surely in the flesh, but in the mind: whom he calls dead, and on this account the more living: for “your life,” saith he, “is hid with Christ in God.” Of such dead the speech is: “But I live, now not I, but there liveth in me Christ.” They therefore, whose life was hidden in God, are admonished and exhorted to mortify their members, which are upon the earth. For this follows, “Mortify, therefore, your members, which are upon the earth.” And, lest any through excess of dullness should think that such are to mortify the members of the body that are seen, straightway opening what it is he saith, “Fornication,” saith he, “uncleanness, passion, evil lust, and covetousness, which is idolatry.”114    Col. iii. 5 But is it so to be believed, that they, who were already dead, and their life hidden with Christ in God, were still committing fornication, were still living in unclean habits and works, were still slaves to passions of evil lust and covetousness? What madman would thus think of such? What, therefore, would he that they mortify, save the motions themselves still living in a certain intrusion115    Interpellatione of their own, without the consent of our mind, without the action of the members of the body? And how are they mortified by the work of continence, save when we consent not to them with the mind, nor are the members of the body yielded to them as weapons; and, what is greater, and to be looked to with yet greater watchfulness of continence, our very thought itself, although in a certain way it be touched by their suggestion, and as it were, whisper, yet turns away from these, that it receive not delight from them, and turns to more delightful thoughts of things above: on this account naming them in discourse, that men abide not in them, but flee from them. And this is brought to pass, if we listen effectually, with His help, Who, through His Apostle gives this command, “Seek things that are above, where Christ is sitting at the Right Hand of God. Mind the things that are above, not what are on earth.”116    Col. iii. 1, 2

29. Spiritus itaque hominis adhaerens Spiritui Dei, concupiscit adversus carnem, id est, adversus se ipsum; sed pro se ipso, ut motus illi sive in carne, sive in anima, secundum hominem, non secundum Deum, qui sunt adhuc per acquisitum languorem, continentia cohibeantur, propter acquirendam salutem: ut homo non secundum hominem vivens, jam possit dicere, Vivo autem jam non ego, vivit vero in me Christus (Galat. II, 20). Ubi enim non ego, ibi felicius ego; ut quando secundum hominem reprobus ullus motus exsurgit, cui non consentit qui mente legi Dei servit, dicat etiam illud, Jam non ego operor illud (Rom. VII, 17). Talibus quippe et illa dicuntur, quae sicut eorum socii participesque debemus audire: Si consurrexistis cum Christo, quae sursum sunt quaerite, ubi Christus est in dextera Dei sedens; quae sursum sunt sapite, non quae super terram. Mortui enim estis, et vita vestra abscondita est cum Christo in Deo: cum Christus apparuerit vita vestra, tunc et vos apparebitis 0370cum illo in gloria. Quibus loquatur intelligamus, imo vero attentius audiamus. Nam quid hoc planius? quid apertius? Eis certe loquitur, qui consurrexerant cum Christo, nondum utique carne, sed mente; quos mortuos dicit, et magis hinc vivos: nam vita vestra, inquit, abscondita est cum Christo in Deo. Talium mortuorum vox est: Vivo autem jam non ego, vivit vero in me Christus. Quorum ergo vita erat abscondita in Deo, admonentur et exhortantur ut membra sua mortificent quae sunt super terram. Id enim sequitur: Mortificate ergo membra vestra quae sunt super terram. Et ne quisquam nimis tardus membra ista visibilia corporis mortificanda putaret a talibus, continuo quid dicat aperiens: Fornicationem, inquit, immunditiam, perturbationem, concupiscentiam malam, et avaritiam, quae est idolorum servitus. Itane vero credendum est quod isti qui jam mortui erant, eorumque vita abscondita erat cum Christo in Deo, adhuc fornicabantur, adhuc in moribus immundis operibusque vivebant, adhuc perturbationibus concupiscentiae malae atque avaritiae serviebant? Quis demens ista de talibus senserit? Quid ergo vult ut mortificent, opere scilicet continentiae, nisi motus ipsos adhuc in sua quadam interpellatione, sine nostrae mentis consensione, sine membrorum corporalium operatione viventes? Et quomodo isti mortificantur opere continentiae, nisi cum eis mente non consentitur, nec exhibentur eis arma corporis membra; et quod est majus, atque vigilantia continentiae majore curandum, ipsa etiam nostra cogitatio, quamvis eorum quodam modo suggestione et quasi susurratione tangatur, tamen ab eis ne oblectetur avertitur, et ad superna delectabilius cogitanda convertitur; ob hoc ea nominans in sermonibus, ne habitetur in eis, sed fugiatur ab eis? Quod fit, si efficaciter audiamus, ipso adjuvante qui hoc per Apostolum suum praecipit: Quae sursum sunt quaerite, ubi Christus est in dextera Dei sedens; quae sursum sunt sapite; non quae super terram.